Tumbling
by Tan-is-a-fan
Summary: Inara flirts with a stranger in a bar, and then things start to get really strange. MI and some SK. Threeparter.
1. Chapter 1

_Rating: R  
__Fandom: Firefly, pre-movie  
__Pairings: Mal/Inara, some Simon/Kaylee  
__Disclaimer: Joss, I broke your toys... All characters (except for Elliot, who is mine. Mine, I tell you!) are products of Joss Whedon's brilliant mind. Damn him! Also, one of the lines belongs to Guinnie; I stole it shamelessly. I'm a bad person.  
__Feedback: is better than sex and chocolate combined! Well, maybe not chocolate. Anyway. Feed me!  
__Archive: want, take, have. Just let me know so I can rejoice!  
__Info: CCke and I had a bet going. I lost. So, here's my end of the deal: a Mal/Inara fic with 'adult situations' and the line 'I'd like to tap that' in it. Hey, blame her brain, not mine.  
__A/N: A million smoochies for Guinevere, officially the Best Beta Ever. No kidding. She should get an award._

**Act One**

"I promise, you guys haven't lived until you've tried these," Wash stated as the waitress put a pitcher and nine glasses down on their table.

Book and Inara nodded with equally polite smiles while Zoe and Mal exchanged skeptical glances. Jayne on the other hand immediately reached for the pitcher and poured himself a full glass.

"Explain to me again why we all had to come here?" Simon asked, looking at the people sitting by the bar as if they could attack him any second. "These kinds of bars aren't exactly friendly." He picked up a glass and scrunched up his nose in disgust. "Or hygienic."

"C'mon, we don't ever go out together. 'Sides, it's fun!" Kaylee stated cheerfully from right beside him. She leaned across the table to fill two glasses for herself and Simon and sat back down, a little closer to Simon than before.

Simon however was probably the only one who hadn't noticed that – or heard anything she'd said, for that matter – since he was busy wrestling one of the empty glasses from River's hands. "Old enough to drink," the young woman complained through gritted teeth as she pried the glass from him.

"Not with the medication you're taking," he admonished. River rolled her eyes and let go of the glass abruptly, causing Simon to fly back against Kaylee's shoulder. River started giggling.

"Right. Glad that's been sorted out," Mal said briskly. "Now, we ain't had work for days. Let's discuss job options before we're down to dishwashing to pay for these fine drinks, shall we?" He started looking around, his eyes locking on purses that were in clear view. Kaylee's face fell. She had obviously counted on a nice, crime-free night out.

"Mal," Inara said with a smile, putting a glass down in front of him, "don't you think you're exaggerating? We can get by for at least another few weeks, there is no reason to spoil a relaxing evening with petty theft."

"Don't hurt to have some extra coin in advance, 'Nara," he said grimly. "'Sides, time is money. I'd think a businesswoman such as yourself would get that." Inara didn't grace him with a reply, she knew better than to rile him when he was in one of his moods. He was trying to provoke her, and the more she ignored him, the quicker it would pass. She hoped.

Mal took a big swig of his glass, his face immediately contorting into a disgusted grimace. "_Zhe shi shen-me lan dong-xi_? Gorram it, Wash, you tryin' to kill us?"

Zoe chuckled in amusement when Simon sniffed his glass carefully and then jerked his head back as if the liquid had bit him. Kaylee and River didn't so much chuckle as burst into fits of giggles.

"Why, what's wrong?" Jayne asked in between gulps. He slammed the empty glass down and refilled it right away.

Inara wisely kept from filling her glass. Glancing around the room, her gaze lingered for just a moment on a handsome young man who was looking in her direction from his spot by the bar. He had perfectly chiseled features and dark hair that was almost fully covered by an old Stetson. He tipped his hat when their eyes locked, a smile tugging at his lips.

Inara returned his gesture with a warm smile before turning her attention back to the table. No one had even noticed the distraction except for Zoe, who raised her eyebrows at Inara, suppressing a smile.

Inara wasn't in the least bit embarrassed. The mere fact that she didn't date, did not mean that she couldn't take time to appreciate the finer things in life. And that man… was definitely fine.

The others, meanwhile, were still discussing Wash's awful taste in liquor. Book sniffed thoughtfully at his glass. "It reminds me of something we had at the abbey."

Simon quirked an eyebrow. "Manure?"

"Ahem."

Everyone looked up simultaneously – except for River, who was slowly edging her fingers towards Jayne's refilled glass – to see the bartender put a single drink down on their table.

Mal frowned. "That's mighty kind but we ain't ordered anything," he said, eyeing the man suspiciously.

"I know, sir. It's for the lady." The bartender stared at Inara in awe. He did a sort of curtsey, which would have been funny even if he hadn't been wearing an apron and a flannel shirt, before hurrying back to the bar. Inara's eyes followed him until she saw the handsome stranger. He smiled at her, raising his glass in a toast.

"Friend o' yours?" Mal's voice sounded in her ear. She could almost hear him clench his jaw. "Don't look like the type that can afford your rates."

Inara's eyebrows soared but she remained dead calm. "He's not a client, Mal. In fact, I've never seen him before; but he seems very kind," she said coolly.

Mal barked a laugh. "Right. I bet he thinks maybe he can get a free go if he buys you 'nough drinks."

"Cap'n!" Kaylee scowled.

"Ow!" Mal yelped. Off Zoe's look, he reached down for his shin and rubbed it. "She kicked me!" he protested, glowering at Kaylee.

"And rightfully so, sir. Mighta done the same if I'd been on that end of the table," Zoe replied dryly.

Inara looked at the tabletop. She'd known full well that Mal was in one of his foul moods, but his words still stung her. It always stung when he insulted her. She knew that going into a battle of wits with him right now would only make his temper worse, and she didn't want to ruin the crew's night out. Besides, she welcomed the escape that presented itself.

"It's fine, really," she said with an elegant smile. "Will you excuse me?" Picking up her glass, she rose to her feet and made her way over to the man by the bar.

"Sorry, didn't mean to take you away from your friends' company," the man said. He gave up his seat and slid an extra barstool next to it. Inara smiled and put her glass down on the bar before sitting down carefully.

"Oh, that's quite alright. My friends are lovely, but they can be a little much sometimes." Inara frowned slightly. Why did she say that? And why was she saying it to a stranger? She quickly recovered and gave him a dazzling smile. "If nothing else, I enjoy meeting new people wherever I go."

The man gave her an equally dazzling smile that took Inara a little off-guard. "In that case," he said as he held out his hand, "my name is Elliot Rand – but Elliot's fine. It's a right pleasure to meet you, miss…?"

"Serra. But please call me Inara." She offered her hand and he placed a soft kiss on top of it. Inara's eyes flickered over Elliot's shoulder and past him for just a second, to see Mal staring right at them. Despite the solemn promise she'd made to herself not to let Mal affect her, Inara couldn't help feeling gleeful.

She pointedly ignored Mal and focused her attention back on Elliot. "So, tell me," she said, placing a soft hand on his forearm as she looked up at him with kind, dark eyes. "What brings you to Eavesdown?"

To Inara's surprise, Elliot didn't seem instantly mesmerized. On the contrary, he leaned in with a conspiring smirk on his features. "Trying to make someone jealous, are you? The fellow sitting in the back there grinding his teeth at us, perhaps?"

Inara blinked in surprise and recoiled slightly. "Am I that transparent ?" she asked after a short pause. She glanced at Mal again and prayed to the gods that he couldn't overhear them.

Elliot just chuckled. "Not at all, don't worry. I just read people rather well."

Inara stared back at him, feeling a little puzzled. "So do I. Usually." She couldn't help but feel slightly nervous and worried. She wasn't easily caught off-guard, and this conversation wasn't at all going the way she had intended.

"Oh, not to worry," he replied laughingly when he noticed the look on her face. "Apparently, I can't be figured out. Or so the women I know keep telling me." He grinned and Inara instantly felt more at ease. She was relieved that things hadn't gotten awkward.

"You're not the only one," she confided with a twinkle in her eyes. "This man I know… he's completely unreadable. It's infuriating, really. Half the time I have no idea what he's thinking. If he even _is_ thinking, which I doubt most of the time." She rolled her eyes slightly.

"In that case," Elliot said, leaning in close to her ear and placing his hand in the small of her back, "let's give him something to mull over, shall we?"

Inara giggled involuntarily. She immediately frowned and glanced at her now empty drink, which was sitting on the bar. "What was in that drink?" She was definitely starting to feel a bit buzzed.

"I'm afraid I don't know. I just asked the bartender to offer the fanciest drink he had to the fanciest lady in the room. It's called a Tumbler, apparently." He raised his shoulders in a non-committal shrug. "Why, too strong?" he asked, a worried frown appearing on his face.

Inara nodded, immediately bringing her hand to her temple when the movement made her dizzy. "I think so," she frowned. Catching herself, she regained her composure and smiled graciously. "But don't worry, I'm perfectly fine. I think I better return to my table though. Thank you very much for the drink, and I hope I didn't give you the wrong impression?"

Elliot waved his hand dismissively. "Please. A registered Companion? As if I ever had a chance. I'm just glad to have had the chance to get to know you."

Inara smiled broadly, one of her rare unbridled smiles. Before she could stop herself, she said, "Things might have been different if— "

"Your heart hadn't already been stolen by someone else?" Elliot finished for her. Inara nodded weakly. She had _actually_ meant to say, if it hadn't been for her profession, but now that Elliot said it, it sounded strangely true.

"I suppose you're right," she said slowly. "Of course, if you're in the client registry, you…" _Okay. Definite buzz._

Elliot cut her off with another soft kiss on her hand. "Thank you, but I'm afraid that that just wouldn't do. A woman like you deserves to be loved as a person; adored and respected for everything she is; not as a one-night arrangement. I'm sure the gentleman back there would agree," he said, nudging his head toward Mal.

Inara smiled gratefully and said her goodbyes to Elliot before returning to her table. Shepherd Book and River had already returned to the ship, and Wash and Zoe were getting on their feet, preparing to leave. Inara couldn't suppress a smile when she noticed Simon whispering into a giggling Kaylee's ear. Jayne appeared to be passed out on the table and was snoring loudly. _Clearly, Wash's miracle drinks haven't missed their effect_, Inara thought.

Mal narrowed his eyes as Inara took her seat opposed to him. "Made a new friend? Always networking, that Ambassador of ours." His voice was slightly slurred.

"_Somebody_ on this crew has to make a living," she retorted calmly as she poured herself a drink.

Leaning across the table in an attempt to look commanding, Mal said, "You ain't part of this crew, Inara, and as such you don't got the right to criticize the jobs we take."

"What jobs?" Inara frowned. "The last four jobs you did either went south or made barely enough profit to keep Serenity in the air!"

Mal leaned back abruptly and took a big swig of his drink, but he stayed suspiciously silent. _Okay, that probably wasn't the smart thing to say_, Inara realized. She didn't even mean half of what she said. He just... brought it out in her.

Finally, Mal looked back up at her. There was a glint in his eyes that she recognized instantly. She often imagined that it must have been the same look he'd had during the war, when his platoon was cornered and had no means of escape. It was the one that indicated that he was going to do or say something incredibly bold or incredibly stupid. Usually both.

He opened his mouth and closed it again, seemingly catching himself before saying anything that would cause irreparable harm. "What?" she asked, sounding a bit more grumpy than she'd intended.

He closed his eyes for a second and opened them again. "Nothin'."

Inara frowned and rolled her eyes. Mal could be _so_ exhausting sometimes. Most of the time, actually. "Honestly Mal, if we can't be civilized and talk like—"

"I ain't lookin' for a fight," Mal interrupted her, emptying his drink and slamming it back down onto the table. The thud made Jayne snort a little in his sleep.

"Well, you could've fooled me," Inara replied under her breath. She wouldn't be this snappish if she hadn't been so dizzy. On top of that, she was beginning to feel slightly nauseated. Looking back up at Mal suddenly, she added, "I need some fresh air. Will you excuse me for a minute?"

She got up, passed Elliot's seat which was now empty and quickly made her way to the bathrooms. They turned out to be in the back of the bar, across a small covered passageway. The cold air made Inara shiver and she hugged her shawl more tightly.

Instead of heading for the bathroom, Inara took a moment to lean against one of the walls and close her eyes. She suddenly felt tired, and wanted nothing more than to get to her shuttle and sleep away this whole confusing evening.

The sound of approaching footsteps made her eyes snap open. A second later, Mal came trudging her way, swaying a little on his feet but nonetheless intent on where he was going. He didn't even slow down until he was inches away from her.

"Mal, what are you—"

"I said I wasn't lookin' for a fight." He stopped her there, leaning in and pressing his lips to hers without hesitation. Inara felt her breath hitch and she closed her eyes involuntarily.

Pressed up against the cold wall, Inara let herself slip for just a moment. She let her shawl slide to the floor and snaked her arms around Mal's waist as he deepened the kiss. It was very erotic, much more than she would have ever thought to be possible, considering the surroundings. It only took her a couple of moments to regain her composure however.

"Mal. You're drunk," she said as she pushed him away, gentle and yet firm at the same time. She sounded much more offended than she felt. Mal slowly took a step back, and to her own surprise Inara instantly felt cold and incomplete.

Mal rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Reckon that's so." Sucking in a breath, he added, "But look, 'Nara, I didn't... I mean it wasn't my..."

Every fiber of her wanted to take him back into her arms, to kiss him fiercely and tell him that he had nothing to feel bad about. Instead, her mouth decided to be treacherous and say, "I think I'd better go back to my shuttle."

Mal nodded mutely, and Inara felt her stomach plummet at the sight of him. She picked up her shawl and managed to produce a hint of a smile. "Goodnight, Mal," she said calmly as she walked away.

Inara all but ran out of the bar. It was dark outside and the busy market streets were nearly deserted. It was raining, too, but Inara couldn't care less. She quickly began walking back to the ship, her skirt trailing through puddles and over the dirty ground, leaving muddy stains on the hem.

The cool night air soothed her skin like a silk cloth. Her cheeks were still burning, but she felt more angry than embarrassed. It took a lot to embarrass her. She was definitely not acting like herself though, Inara thought. She should have stopped Mal – stopped herself – instead of allowing things to become even more complicated between them. It was the drink, she knew it. Anything that made a person this dizzy, nauseated and well-willing after one drink, was not normal.

Inara felt like hitting herself. She'd been a fool for accepting a drink from a total stranger. Lord knows what he slipped into it; what could have happened... It wasn't like her to be so careless.

Inara realized that she had only been trying to get back at Mal. Still, that didn't excuse her. Someone with her training, someone who was schooled in reading people's body language and their intentions, should know better. But Elliot was so... unreadable. Nothing had gone the way she'd expected. She had acted like a schoolgirl and now she was suffering the consequences.

It wouldn't be so horrible if she hadn't been feeling so dizzy though, Inara thought, grazing her fingers along the rough walls as she stumbled into the alley that was supposed to lead back to the docks. It didn't, apparently, because when she looked up, a brick wall towered in front of her.

"Dead end," a voice announced from behind her.

Inara spun around, grabbing the wall for support again and forcing her eyes to focus. Standing at the entrance to the alley, staring at her intently, was Elliot. She had nowhere to go.

"Everything alright, princess?" he asked.

Inara's eyes widened.

* * *

TBC

_Zhe shi shen-me lan dong-xi : what the hell is this crap?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Act Two**

Inara stood there frozen for what seemed like an eternity. When Elliot walked up to her, she cursed every god she'd ever heard of that she was too dizzy to even construct a single thought.

Suddenly, a movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Mal was silently coming up behind Elliot, ready to take him out. Before Inara had the time, let alone the common sense to react, Mal had tapped Elliot on the shoulder.

"Hi there," Mal said cheerfully when Elliot spun around, before sending his knuckles on a collision course with Elliot's nose. The young man stumbled back and immediately slumped down onto the muddy ground, unconscious.

"Mal!" was all Inara managed to say. She quickly ran up to Mal, standing next to him as they both looked down at the limp form that was lying completely still in the middle of the deserted alley.

"Well. That was bracing," Mal muttered. "I got half a mind to riddle him with holes right now. Wouldn't be fair though, him bein' knocked out an' all. Better wait till he wakes up." His hand was twitching impatiently on his gun holster, so Inara quickly put a soft hand on his forearm to stop him from doing anything he might regret later.

Not taking her eyes off Elliott, she said, "Will you help me bring him on board?"

Mal looked at her as if she'd gone all kinds of crazy. "'Nara, I ain't bringin' a guy like this on board of Serenity."

"Please Mal, trust me on this. I know what I'm doing," she replied, her eyes wide and pleading. She could almost see Mal's resolve begin to waver.

"Fine," he said after a beat, putting his hands up in surrender. "But I ain't takin' my eyes off this _hwoon dahn_ for one second."

It took them a considerable amount of time and effort to drag an unconscious Elliot all the way back to the ship and into the infirmary. As Inara had expected, everyone on board was fast asleep, something she was more than grateful for.

"You alright?" Mal inquired, eyeing her. She looked pale and unsettled. "You ain't said a word in over 45 minutes."

Inara shot him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking. I'm absolutely fine, don't worry." It wasn't a lie, per se. She _had_ been thinking. That and thanking the gods that things hadn't turned into a gunfight. _What if he had been killed? I would have never gotten the chance to…_ She didn't even have the strength to finish that thought.

"You don't have to do that, you know?" Mal said as they heaved Elliot onto the stretcher.

Inara gave him a questioning look. "Do what?"

"Pretend everything is fine all the time, even when it isn't." Unsure how to reply to that, Inara stared at the floor and remained silent. Meanwhile, Mal grunted with relief when Elliot landed on the stretcher and the weight was out of his hands. Rubbing a crick in the back of his neck, he mumbled, "Enough exercise for me. There's some jobs an old man just ain't fit to do no more." Inara smiled weakly.

Mal looked around with a frown. "Now where's that no good doctor of ours? Never around when you need him, that one."

Inara's brow creased. "Why do you need Simon?"

On the stretcher, the young man's eyes were beginning to flutter, a sure sign he was about to wake up. Mal glared down at him. "To make damn sure he don't wake up before we suss out what to do with him."

"Mal, I—" Inara began, but Mal had already stormed out. He stormed back in about sixty seconds later.

"Gorram kid ain't even on the ship," he griped. Inara sighed as Mal walked by her, uttering a string of curses and complaining about how his crew were never around when he needed them.

Mal strode past her as well as the stretcher and headed straight for the counter, grabbing the inoculation gun that was lying on top of it.

"What the hell are you doing?" Inara stared at him in surprise. "You can't just _drug_ him. You're not even a doctor!"

"Ain't a lawman neither, but that ain't never stopped me from shooting people." Grabbing Elliot's arm forcefully, he injected him with the gun. The young man's eyelids drooped instantly and his head lolled back.

Checking his pulse to verify that Mal hadn't poisoned Elliot, Inara let out a relieved breath. "Mal, you could have killed him," she admonished. Mal just shot her a 'watch me not care' look. Inara couldn't help feeling strangely flattered by his desire to protect her.

"And a great loss it woulda been, I'm sure. Listen Inara, you want him on board, so be it. But I'm responsible for this crew and I ain't running any risks. _Dong ma_?"

"The crew may be your responsibility, but this man is _my_ responsibility." Anger flared in Inara's eyes. "And do you really think I would do _anything_ that would put the people on board in danger? They might be your crew, but they're my _friends_! Besides, you put them in danger all the time!"

Mal's eyes narrowed. "You know, I'm gettin' real tired of this. You wanna be all flustered and upset about what happened between you an' me, go right ahead. I apologized once already. So you can feel free to hold a grudge, but don't you question the decisions I make on my own gorram ship!"

"I wasn't trying to…" Inara fell silent. _Is that it? Does he think I'm upset because he kissed me?_

"Mal, that wasn't why I was upset," she said softly, taking a step closer to him. She put her hand on the back of Mal's shoulder and lifted her head to look into his eyes. "I think we need to talk…" When Mal nodded, she quickly added, "Because I need to explain something. Something I should have told you earlier; but I was still trying to wrap my mind around it."

It hadn't even occurred to Inara that Mal might be thinking that this was all his fault, because it really wasn't. _I should have guessed as much though_, she thought with a weak smile. _He always takes the weight of the worlds on his shoulders._

"What's the ruckus?" a voice sounded behind them. Looking over her shoulder, Inara saw Book heading their way, with Zoe following suit.

"Apparently, no amount of yelling can wake up my husband after four of those drinks," Zoe said, giving Mal and Inara a telling look. "What's going on, sir? We kidnap someone?" she asked, raising an eyebrow when she saw Elliot lying unconscious on the stretcher.

Mal crossed his arms and looked at Inara. "Not rightly sure about that. Inara, care to enlighten us?"

At that moment, the sound of giggles erupted from the cargo bay. "Now what?" Mal muttered as he walked up the stairs and through the door, followed by Zoe, Book and Inara.

Pinned flush against the side of the airlock was Simon, his lips nuzzling Kaylee's neck while Kaylee was clumsily undoing the buttons of his shirt and giggling like a loon.

Mal dared a furtive glance at Zoe, Inara and Book, and rolled his eyes grumpily at the sight of them. "There any particular reason you're smirking like a buncha moonbrains?" he said under his breath. Then he cleared his throat with a loud cough.

Simon's head snapped up instantly, and Kaylee followed his example. A bright smile immediately lit up her face. "Oh hi Cap'n, guys," she said, waving at them and swaying slightly where she stood.

Meanwhile, Simon was frantically trying to fasten his shirt buttons as quickly as his fingers would allow. "I, ah, Captain. I wasn't – I mean I didn't..." he stuttered, his voice sounding slightly slurred. He scrambled backwards to free himself Kaylee's grip, but was stopped by the wall. Sucking in a nervous breath, he rambled on. "I, ah, I wasn't taking advantage of Kaylee, if that's what you were thinking."

"Looked more like it was the other way 'round," Zoe said softly, eliciting a smile from Inara. Mal on the other hand did not seem amused.

"Look, if you two can't be civilized and make it to your bunk, at least try an' be a bit more quiet-like," he said sternly.

"Oh no, Captain, don't worry," Simon said, tripping over the words in his hurry to get them out. "Nothing's going to happen."

Now it was Kaylee's turn to wheel around and face the young doctor. "You gotta be joking. What d'you mean 'nothin's gonna happen'?" The look on her face seemed to be battling between disappointed and angry, but right now angry was clearly winning. When Simon just looked at her awkwardly, his gaze flickering at the crew standing in the doorway, but didn't say anything, Kaylee threw up her hands with a frustrated groan and stormed off.

"Kaylee, wait!" Simon quickly picked up his vest, which had been tossed carelessly on the floor, and hurried after her.

Mal, Inara, Zoe and Book could just hear Kaylee mutter 'that she'd been listenin' to his _fuhn pi_' for long enough', before they were both out of view and out of earshot.

"Poor Doc," Zoe said, but there was an amused twinkle in her eyes.

Inara smiled. "Poor Kaylee."

Mal rolled his eyes again. "Yeah, a right tale o' tragedy, those two. Now, where were we?" he said while he glanced through the infirmary window.

Zoe followed his gaze. "You were about to tell us what happened tonight, sir."

Mal nodded. "That I did. This here fella wanted to attack Inara, so I knocked him out. Then 'Nara insisted we bring him on board, I'll be goddamned if I know why. No offense, Shepherd."

"None taken." Shepherd Book smiled tersely and waved it off with a brush of his hand, before turning his attention back to Inara.

_Right. Now's as good a time as any. This whole thing has gone on long enough._ Inara took in a deep breath.

"He didn't try to attack me."

"What? 'Nara I _saw_ you. He was advancing on you in a dark alley an' you were all wide-eyed and shocked-lookin', and I ain't ever seen you like that before. Not unless things were dire." Mal stared her as if to say 'try and deny that'.

Inara cast her eyes downward. "I was shocked because I had recognized him." Suddenly, she wished that she wasn't feeling so self-conscious. The shock she'd had earlier had sobered her up in an instant, but the dizzying haze that drink had put her into sounded more than welcome right about now.

"Recognized?" Mal's expression was becoming increasingly puzzled and she could see it annoyed him not to know what was going on. Inara nodded mutely.

"He's my brother."

Complete silence fell. Mal just blinked and stared at her. "_Shuh-muh_?" he uttered after an agonizing pause.

Inara gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry I caused this much confusion. When I recognized him, I was too shocked to do anything, and then everything happened so fast..." She paused and a flush of embarrassment appeared on her cheeks. "And I wanted to make sure he was on board before I spoke up."

Mal scrubbed his fingertips across his scalp, leaving his hair in even more disarray than usual. "I'm sorry. Go back to the bit about him bein' your brother?"

Inara sighed as she sat down in one of the lounge chairs outside the infirmary. "I left for the Companion Training House when I was only eleven. Len – my brother – was seven at the time. I haven't seen him since, so I didn't recognize him when he adressed me in the bar."

The others were still looking at her as if she'd just said that she liked to take long walks in the black without a suit. She wished they would stop already; this was hard enough to explain as it was.

After what felt like an eternity, Book finally spoke up. "Well, in light of this, I suggest we all give Inara a little space and time to catch up with her kin."

Zoe nodded pensively and followed him to the door. Before she reached it, she turned around and looked at Mal. "Sir? You coming?" She raised an admonishing eyebrow that clearly stated that she wasn't asking a question.

Mal just nodded, but his eyes were still trained on Inara. "You shoulda said something, 'Nara. I coulda shot him right then and there."

Inara nodded. "I know. But, in all fairness, I never _asked_ you to come rescue me. Again," she said. She swallowed when Mal gave her a hurt look, and quickly smiled to indicate that she wasn't being serious.

This seemed to calm Mal, and his gaze shifted to the young man lying in the infirmary. "So. Your brother?" To Inara's surprise, Mal looked relieved.

Inara nodded, grateful that his bad temper seemed to have evaporated. _That figures. If there's one thing that always cheers Mal up, it's knocking people unconscious_.

"Huh. How 'bout that." Mal smiled, then turned around and left the room, leaving a baffled Inara in his wake.

"Len?"

"Ow?" The young man rubbed his forehead as he slowly regained consciousness. Looking up at Inara through still-bleary eyes, he forced a weak smile onto his face. "Hi sis."

Inara gazed at him sternly. If he thought he could get away with making a fool of her and giving her such a fright, he had another thing coming.

"Don't 'hi sis' me," she scoffed. "You scared me half to death. What were you thinking? Mal could have killed you." Inara honestly didn't know which feelings prevailed at the moment. Part of her was annoyed at her brother's behavior, another part was mostly embarrassed about her _own_ behavior, and a third part felt oddly happy that Mal would do most anything to defend her. On top of all of that, the kiss she and Mal had shared was still swirling around in her head.

Len just snorted. "Please. I saw him coming a mile away."

"Yes, obviously. Getting hit on the head was sufficient proof of that," Inara huffed, rolling her eyes. "How could you play such a cruel trick? You had me thinking – I don't even want to think about it." Inara shuddered.

"Oh come on, it was funny," Len said, flashing Inara the boyish grin she remembered from long ago. Upon seeing the look in her eyes, he shrugged. "Well, _I _thought it was funny, anyway. You really didn't know it was me?"

Inara shook her head as she sat down next to the stretcher. "Not until you called me 'princess'," she said, smiling ruefully. "I haven't seen you for years, but the way you said it... It made everything fall into place. Including your penchant for immature jokes," she added as she gave him the big sister look she hadn't used for fifteen years.

Len propped himself up on his elbows and frowned. "Yeah, about that. I should've asked what was in that drink, I'm sorry. Are you feeling better?" When she nodded, he went on, raising his eyebrows in mock-disapproval. "Oh, and about that 'haven't seen me for years' thing. You'd think Companions would be taught to use the Cortex. Any particular reason you haven't sent us a single wave in nearly ten years? When I heard you were in town, I couldn't resist. Why did you leave House Madrassa?"

Inara's eyes automatically shifted to a spot on the floor. "It's complicated."

"Ain't it always?" Len said with a little smile.

Inara raised an eyebrow. "Speaking of which... What are you doing all the way out here on the Border?" she asked.

Len just shrugged non-committally. "That's complicated too, I guess."

Both Serra children might have been blessed with great looks and the ability to use them, but Inara was professionally trained in reading people's body language. It didn't matter how hard it had been to read him back at the bar, it was clear as day that he was very different from the boy she'd known on Sihnon. He was less like the well-bred schoolboy she remembered – except for the inappropriate jokes, perhaps. The way he talked, dressed and acted, clearly suggested he'd been living on the Rim for a while now. He was still as carefree as he'd ever been, though.

Inara smiled gently and looked at her younger brother. "I guess we do have a lot to talk about."

Len perked up right away. "Damn straight. I'm not going anywhere. So start talking – how about that guy you were trying to make jealous?" He gave her a dubious look. "I mean, a spaceship captain? Seriously?"

Soon, they were lost in conversation. Inara was just about to point out that it was almost morning and that they should join the rest of the crew, when there was a sharp knock on the infirmary window and Mal walked in. "Speak of the devil," Len said under his breath, since they had mostly been discussing her intentions towards Mal – something Inara wished Len would stop bringing up.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. 'Nara, you mind if we have us a talk?" Mal asked, visibly nervous.

"Ah. Yes, we should." Inara's eyes searched the floor frantically for an excuse not to do just that. She had a pretty good idea what Mal wanted to talk about, and this was one conversation she wasn't ready for. No matter how great that kiss was.

For a moment, the tension in the room seemed to simmer. Inara could feel it, it was almost palpable.

"I really should go respond to some waves right now, though. People will start to get worried if I don't keep in touch. And with the way your business is going, I can't afford to lose any of my clients. Lord knows you need the rent."

A nerve twitched in Mal's jaw as he conjured a smile. "Right. Of course." The look he was giving her, did not bode well. "Wouldn't want to keep the respectable folk waitin'. Business before pleasure – or would that be the other way 'round?" he said sweetly.

Inara felt her temper begin to rise, but she honestly didn't know if she was angry with Mal, or with herself. Why did he always bring out the worst in her? Outwardly calm and collected, she rose to her feet, gave them both a quick smile and walked out of the room.

Both men stared after her until she was out of sight. "Are you guys always like that?"

Mal frowned at the young man. "Like what?"

Len rolled his eyes. "Never mind. Anyway, guess you're stuck with me, huh?"

Mal nodded, still staring at the empty doorway. "You know, I'm not rightly sure, but if I didn't know better, I'd say she's avoidin' me."

"Wow, nothing gets past you, does it?" Len said dryly. He smiled while he propped himself up on his elbows, resting languidly on the stretcher. "You know, captain Reynolds, you're not nearly as dimwitted as I imagined."

Mal smiled grimly. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Len flashed him a congenial smile. "Please do, it was meant as one. But then, I never imagined my sister would be attracted to anyone who wasn't as clever as she is."

This earned Len a frown, albeit a fleeting one. Mal took a step closer to the young man and gave him a piercing look. "Smart as I am, I recognize an ass-kissing lil' _chuen_ when I see me one. And you're more'n a mite obvious."

Len turned until he sat sideways on the stretcher, his feet dangling inches above the floor. He chuckled nervously. "What does that mean?"

"It means," said Mal, his voice dangerously low, "that I don't believe in coincidences. This ain't the first time we've been here, so why'd you gone and show up now? What d'you really want from Inara?"

* * *

TBC

_Hwoon dahn: bastard  
__Dong ma: understand?  
__Fuhn Pi: talking out of your ass  
__Shuh-muh: excuse me?  
__Chuen: dumbass_


End file.
